240 S.W. 245 | Mo. Ct. App. | 1922
Lead Opinion
This is an action to recover for personal injuries alleged to have been sustained by plaintiff while working as a clerk or demonstrator in defendant's place of business, by having her hand caught between the rubber rollers of an electrically operated "wringer" attached to a washing machine. *399
The court gave a peremptory instruction for defendant at the close of plaintiff's case, and plaintiff took an involuntary nonsuit with leave to move to set the same aside. Upon the overruling of said motion plaintiff perfected her appeal to this court.
The accident occurred on the 12th of December, 1918, and this action is based upon section 7828, Revised Statutes 1909, now section 6786, Revised Statutes 1919.
The defendant conducted a store on Pine street, in the city of St. Louis. In this store were the usual fixtures to be found in one of this kind. Arranged on the floor were rows of electric stoves and electric washing machines. These machines were so arranged as to create a narrow aisle wide enough for a person to walk through. Plaintiff was employed as a saleswoman, and worked for defendant in this store, which was designated as an electric shop. It was plaintiff's duty to sell anything in the store that customers wanted. She had worked for defendant about three months prior to the accident. When a customer would come in it was plaintiff's duty to demonstrate these washing machines with their various attachments. The machine which caused plaintiff's injury is known as a Thor washing machine. There is a button attached to the machine which turns on the electric power. This power is conveyed to the machine by means of an electric cord which is plugged in at a socket located near the desk. There is a lever which is used to start and stop the rollers of the wringer attached to the machine. She plugged in the socket located on the floor, and as she arose some one was trying to pass her in the narrow aisle as she stood close to this washing machine. The rollers which caught her hand were not guarded. In answer to the question as to how it happened, she stated:
"As I got up to a standing position some one was going past me, and turning my body I was standing at this machine, this Thor machine, and my hand was drawn in between the rollers of this machine, which was running, just to take my hand through."
It appears that she did not start the machine after plugging in the cord, but it had been left apparently in a *400 position to start as soon as the cord was attached. The rollers in this wringer were located at a height slightly above the waist-line of plaintiff. The machines were not manufactured in this establishment, but were merely sold there as a retail store. The evidence also discloses that it was possible to guard the rollers of this machine, and that similar machines were guarded in laundries.
Aside from the doctor who testified as to plaintiff's injuries, only three witnesses testified in this case.
"The belting, shafting, machines, machinery, gearing and drums, in all manufacturing, mechanical and other establishments in this State, when so placed as to be dangerous to persons employed therein or thereabout while engaged in their ordinary duties, shall be safely and securely guarded when possible," etc.
This statute has been construed by our appellate courts a number of times, although the exact questions presented here have not been heretofore directly passed upon by any of the courts of this State, so far as we have been able to ascertain.
Our Supreme Court, in Cole v. North American Lead Co.,
In Yates v. House Wrecking Co. (Mo. App.), 195 S.W. 549, l.c. 551, it is said:
"The question, primarily, is not at what particular place is the machinery located, but rather is, where it is located with reference to the servant's ordinary duties. If, in the performance of such duties, he must go or reach in dangerous proximity to the machinery, it should be `securely guarded when possible.'"
In Austin v. Shoe Co.,
Defendant contends that the phrase, "and other establishments," in the connection it is used, was intended to embrace places of the same general character as those enumerated, thus calling for the application of the rule of ejusdem generis. In view of what has been said by the *402 courts of this State in construing this statute, and the object, purposes, and intent of the Legislature in its enactment, we would not be justified in placing this narrow and constrained construction upon it. Section 7827, Revised Statutes 1909, which immediately precedes the one in question, and is a part of the same article, provides that, "All accidents in manufacturing, mechanical, mercantile or other establishments or places within this State where labor is employed which prevent the injured person or persons from returning to work within two weeks after the injury, or which result in death, shall be reported by the person in charge of such establishment or place to the factory inspector," etc.
In that section, in addition to mechanical and manufacturing establishments, mercantile establishments are specifically mentioned as establishments which must deal with the factory inspector with respect to the events or happenings enumerated in the section. We see no occasion or reason here for applying the rule of ejusdem generis to restrict the natural and broad meaning which would be applied to the phrase, "and other establishments," by the persons for whose benefit the law was enacted, and which, in commonplace affairs would be applied to the words. If our legislators intended a different meaning, it would have been easy for them to have said so.
In Kosidowski v. Milwaukee,
"Any resort to subsidiary rules for construction to restrict the meaning would result in defeating the will of the lawmaking power instead of giving full effect thereto. The latter is a judicial duty, and should be, as it is, a pleasure."
And in Caddy v. Interborough R.T. Co.,
"In cases like this, lexicographers' definitions are useful as guide-posts, but they do not take us to our destination. The statutory meaning of a word or phrase must be gathered from the purpose for which the law containing it was enacted."
It is not contended that this was not a "machine" within the meaning of the statute in question. We think the Legislature, by the enactment of this statute, intended to afford the same protection to employees in "other establishments," while engaged in their ordinary duties, if such duties required them to work near unguarded machinery, as it did to employees in manufacturing or mechanical establishments, and that our legislators, in the use of the phrase, "and other establishments," meant just what they said, and if they had intended otherwise they could easily have said so. This language is broad enough to include a mercantile establishment where labor is employed and unguarded and dangerous machinery is used.
Addendum
The foregoing opinion of NIPPER, C., is adopted as the opinion of the court. The judgment of the circuit court is accordingly reversed and the cause remanded. Allen, P.J., Becker andDaues, JJ., concur.
Addendum
The Commissioner recommends that the motion for rehearing be overruled.
Addendum
The foregoing opinion of NIPPER, C., is adopted as the opinion of the court. Respondent's motion for rehearing is accordingly overruled. Allen, P.J., Becker and Daues, JJ., concur. *406